05/25/2025
You're Invited
State Of The System Report: Staffing Crisis, Conservation Priorities & The Road Ahead
Thursday, June 12th, 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET
Baseball, apple pie, and public lands—there's nothing more American. As summer begins and gets into full swing, join us for a webinar exploring the urgent threats facing one of our nation's greatest legacies: the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Desirée Sorenson-Groves, President & CEO of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, will deliver a timely update from Washington, D.C., highlighting the consequences of widespread staffing losses, chronic underfunding, and policy shifts impacting refuges across the country.
Despite the challenges, there's hope. Desirée will spotlight the inspiring conservation work happening on the ground, innovative partnerships taking shape, and the National Wildlife Refuge Association's commitment to deepening public engagement and advocacy. This is your chance to better understand what's at stake—and how we can all stand up for the places and wildlife that define the American landscape.
Presenter
Desirée Sorenson-Groves re-joined the Refuge Association in October 2024 as the President and CEO. Her career has been focused on protecting and enhancing the National Wildlife Refuge System, first as a grassroots organizer for the National Audubon Society, then as the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Refuge Association. After 14 years at NWRA, Sorenson-Groves became the Director of the Arctic Refuge Defense Campaign where she managed an Indigenous-led, multi-pronged effort to stop any development in the Arctic Refuge. She comes back to NWRA after leading Defenders of Wildlife's public and private lands programs as their Vice President of Land & Habitat Conservation. She has a B.A. in Geography from George Washington University and resides in Fort Valley, VA with her husband and two Chesapeake Bay Retrievers